Paris Wine Bar: Avant Comptoir

Avant Comptoir is a gem of Paris. It is one extremely small place but is huge on atmosphere and deliciousness! There is a big mix of locals (Frenchies and expats) and tourists in the know (like you!) who cozy up next to the bar and each other for a glass of wine and some really great appetizers and crepes.

With standing room only it gets pretty crowded so try to go early. A lot of people stop in here before having dinner at their restaurant next door. I recommend the foie gras and making sure you get in on their communal bread basket and Bordier butter. On my last visit I discovered how great cheese and JAM are together. Who knew??

 If you are there for food make sure to look up! The menu is on the ceiling.

Location:
3 Carrefour de l’Odéon, 75006
Metro: Odeon
Open every day

Please excuse my exhausted looking eyes in this photo. This was the end of three weeks of visitors! I barely made it! (but always worth the lack of sleep!)

Dinner at Benoit

Who knew that Paris had restaurant week? "Tous au restaurant" is the French version and I am so happy that my friend told me about it in time to make a reservation at one of the city's oldest bistros. Benoit has been serving great French food since 1912 as a family restaurant until they passed it onto the world renowned chef Alain Ducasse in 2005 and he promised to stay true to their traditions while bringing Benoit into its future.

As you walk in you are taken back in time to an older Paris. It is beautiful, warm and cozy with the most amazing china I've ever seen. The service was lovely (rare in Paris!) and every single thing we ate was perfect. That includes the massive slab of butter that we devoured completely. We have no shame!

Thank goodness for the two for one prices during this special week because otherwise my poor little self would not have got to experience such a great and classically French meal in this city. Mmm, I love Paris!

Best of Paris: Rose Bakery

As you already know, Paris is full of food. Cusine is oozing out of this city like nobody's business. People think that every restaurant in Paris is going to be a revelation to your taste buds but to be honest, that is definitely not the case. Most cafes and brasseries have similar menus and if you are just looking for a croque monsieur or boeuf tartare then you are usually safe just popping into the corner cafe but if you are looking for something special then you need to do some research.

One of my favorite places is a little cafe called Rose Bakery. It was opened by a Franco-British couple and everyone - Parisians and tourists - have developed a huge love for it. They offer a cool, relaxing atmosphere and really great, healthy food. They always have different quiches, cakes and salads to choose from. Not leafy green salads but things like risotto with roasted squash, peppers and cheese or a salad of perfectly roasted vegetables. I have never had anything that I didn't love which is good because it can be a little bit pricey.

Lucky me, I have Rose Bakery at my disposal every single day because their 1st shop is located on the same street that I work on and their 2nd shop is located directly across from my apartment. I can see it from my window! I haven't made it over there for weekend brunch yet but I am thinking its a good spot to put on the list when my friends come to visit in a few weeks.

Next time you are in Paris, pop into Rose Bakery - you won't regret it!

France: Avignon

Provence is a magical part of France. I wish that we had more time to spend here and explore more of the little towns around Provence. This is the area of France that is known for its beautiful lavender fields in July. I wish we had gotten to see them but we were just behind the season.

Avignon is a perfectly lovely town. It has a small town, countryside town feel and has some of the best food that I've had this year! We loved this one restaurant so much that we went there twice in two days.     Avignon is also the home of the Palais de Papes. I had no idea about this (raised Catholic...oops!) but it was extremely interesting. When a French pope was elected he didn't think that Rome was an appropriate place to house the Catholic church so he began building the Palais de Papes in Avignon. It took 30 years to build and housed 9 popes.

One of the best things of Avignon was the shopping. There are so many adorable stores a lot of them selling things for your home, kitchen or bath products. I bought lavender lotion made with real lavender from the fields in Provence and it is definitely the best lotion I've had to date. My favorite store was full of different food products like house made speculoos, nutella, caramels, and honey. You can also bottle your own oils and vinegars. Best idea ever. The weather was perfect and we spoiled ourselves by getting massages one morning at the hotel. It was a perfect end to our vacation traveling. 

 Zucchini and parmesan crumble, quinoa and salad. Baked mango tart.

home baking: chocolate!

Is there a problem when I spend my whole morning baking at work and then the afternoon baking at home? Maaybe? eek! Don't judge me!! :)

I warned my friends when I moved into my new apartment that I was going to go all "Julie and Julia" on their asses. Well, I wasn't lying. I made Julia Child's chocolate mousse recipe last week and it was delightful. Especially because its composed of Valrhona chocolate and Illy coffee. This is pretty simple to make and great for dinner parties. After you make it and before it is chilled, scoop it into little individual ramekins to serve your guests! Top it with some fresh whipped cream right before you bring them out. Your friends will be so impressed!

Recipe

Makes 6-8 servings

6 ounces semisweet chocolate (the better the quality, the better the end result!)

4 tablespoons strong (good!) coffee

1.5 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup orange liqueur (I omitted this because I didn't have any)

3/4 cup sugar

Roughly chop the chocolate into pieces

Pour the hot coffee over the chocolate (as if making a ganache)

Leave to sit for a minute or two then mix and add the butter.

In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, liqueur, and gradually add the sugar while beating

Beat until thick, pale yellow and it forms a "ribbon" when it falls from the whisk

Place the egg yolks over a double broiler of just simmering water and whisk for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is foamy and warm to your touch

Remove from the heat and beat over a bath of cold water (rest the bowl in another bowl full of cold water) until it is cool, thick and forms a ribbon

Once the chocolate is cooled, fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate.

In a metal bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually at two tablespoons sugar and continue beating to stiff peaks

Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and then delicately fold in the rest of the whites.

Scoop the mixture into a serving dish (or individual pots de creme)

Cover and chill for several hours or overnight

Will keep (while covered) for several days

Serve with lightly whipped cream or creme anglaise.

Another little creation from last week. Chocolate and caramel tartlets. 

Until the next one...bon appetit! 

Mike's Visit Part 5

The last few days that Mike was in Paris the sun finally decided to show its face. It was a blessing and we enjoyed it so much! Lounging together is one of the things we do best so sunshine + park + us = perfection!

We sat around in the Luxembourg garden and read our books. We walked the streets, drank wine down on the river, people watched and my favorite, had a picnic at the (I know, its cliche) Eiffel Tower. It was something on my "must do when he is here" list and we got it checked off.

We walked down a lovely little market street near the Champs des Mars and went in and out of stores collecting all the essentials for a superb picnic lunch: strawberries, baguette, cheese and wine.

Sitting there under the sun and the Eiffel Tower together was one of the most amazing afternoons I have ever had. It was simple and I was so happy in that moment. I wish we could do it every weekend. I will hold onto that feeling until we are reunited in December.

Field Trip Part 1: Rungis

You read that correctly. I got to go on two field trips this week. Like when you were a kid and woke up extra early and excited to go somewhere besides school. It is just as fun at 24, in case you were wondering.

Part one of field trip week is actually the second trip we went on Friday morning (read: Thursday night). My alarm starting yapping away at 2:45 am for this little trip of ours. Inhumane. I know.

My friend Stephanie spent the night so we could brave the wee hours of the morning together. We walked to school at 3:20 am when the bars of the Latin Quarter are still in full swing, got on the bus at 4 and we were touring Rungis by 5 am.

Let me answer your question for you. Why in the world are you going on a field trip at 4 am?? Rungis.

Can you see Paris and the Eiffel Tower in the background?

{via}

Rungis is the largest market in the world and it runs from midnight to 8 am with most of the action happening around the 2-3 am hour. Farmers, fishermen, butchers, and other tradesmen come from all around Europe to sell their products each day. Rungis supplies almost all Paris restaurants, markets and they export to surrounding cities. You must have a member card to purchase here, which means you must own a business. We were lucky enough to have a guided tour of the warehouses. It was an experience! They have buildings the size of football fields that hold everything from: poultry, beef, veggies, fruits, cheese, fish and even flowers!

{readers: if you are sensitive to photos of butchery, you may not want to read any further}


There is nothing like the smell of fish to wake you up at 5 in the morning.

I may or may not have gagged while walking through the pavilion of internal organs. Exactly why I am not a doctor or a cuisine chef. Yak!

Stinky cheeeeese! They have rounds so big they need a pallet jack to move them!

Two full warehouses of fruits and veggies. Now this is up my alley! It was all so beautiful!

Last but not least, the cut flowers!! I thought I had died and gone to flower heaven! Stephanie and I were basically the last ones back on the bus because we couldn't get enough! (and this smelled a whole lot better than that fish pavilion!)

 

We finished the trip at 8:30 or so and had a lovely breakfast of crispy baguettes, flakey croissants, jam, ham, fruit and cheese. Oh yeah, and wine. How could I forget, standard wine for breakfast? 

This trip was brutal but amazing at the same time. A once in a lifetime experience and I am really glad I had the opportunity! I got back to my apartment at 11 am and took a well deserved and long awaited nap.